WHAT does it say about a culture when one out of every four girls between the ages of 14 and 19 has a sexually transmitted disease?

What does it say about that cultures failure to teach girls self-respect and self-esteem that makes them value themselves as something other than sexual objects?

That is what all Americans — not just those with teen daughters — should be asking in the wake of the shocking study released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CDC researchers found that out of a test sample of 800 girls, 25percent tested positive for STDs. Were talking about trichomoniasis, genital herpes, chlamydia or the human papillomavirus.

One out of two African-American teens had an STD, compared to 20percent, of whites and hispanics, respectively.

Proponents of expanding sex education in public schools say the CDC findings offer proof that we need to make condoms and birth control pills more readily available for teenage girls in public schools.

Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America proclaimed: The national policy of promoting abstinence-only programs is a $1.5billion failure and teenage girls are paying the real price.

Just say no has little chance against a teens raging hormones. We need real sex education classes in schools.

However, we also need to do more to discourage our girls, and boys, from having sex when theyre not mature enough to take proper precautions or handle the consequences.

How do we get through to teens when everything in our culture encourages them to engage in dangerous, high risk behavior?

We believe public health officials around the country must launch an aggressive public advertising campaign warning of the risk of STDs — just as there has been a national effort to crack down on teen smoking,

Many teens are ignorant about the risks. Girls and boys need to be told, for instance, that they can become infected through oral sex as well as intercourse.

It is only through a steady bombardment of messages — to counter the constant barrage of a sex-soaked culture, that we can begin to change teen attitudes.

Many parents are in denial. No one wants to believe that their child has a venereal disease. These parents need to get a grip.

Nearly three million teen girls across the nation are believed to be carrying STDs — many dont even know it.

Some STDs can damage a womens reproductive organs, even cause cervical cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Parents must have candid conversations with their children and make sure they have access to sex education in school. Their lives may depend on it.